Galway SHC medals are like "hen's teeth"

Louis Mulqueen was thrilled that his Liam Mellows team didn't let the opportunity pass in yesterday's Galway SHC final.

The former Clare selector described the success, which ended a 47-year famine for the Galway city club, as "one of my biggest achievements".

Mellows trained 134 times since December 1 2016 and Mulqueen told the Irish Independent: "We took a six-week break in the middle. I took Clarinbridge one year there in 2006. The summer break in Galway affects you. Everyone goes off to America, they take jobs. We got two championships through it.

"Getting a Galway county title medal is like hen's teeth. The likes of Aonghus (Callanan) and David (Collins). It was their one shot, one chance and they had to take it. Fair play, both of them stood up as leaders on the pitch with everybody else out there."

He added: "The project appealed to me, it appealed that they had enthusiasm, they had desire to win. Today was the day that they had to stand up and perform in a county final."